The Painted lady
by Jing-o-Jang
Summary: The painted lady of the forest lives with her tribe but then a young prince come to the forest. She show him natures true power and he show her his home. But love comes out to.
1. Lesson of the forest

**Chapter 1: Lesson of the forest**

I looked from the cliff at the ship that was coming. A fire nation ship.  
"Katara?" I turned and saw Hama, a little girl from my tribe. I smiled.  
"Yes, Hama?"  
"What will they do with us?" My smile disappeared and I looked serious at her.  
"They will do nothing to us; I will make sure of that as I always do." She nod and I lifted her up in my arms. "Let's not think about such sad things." I smiled. "It will be alright." She nods with a smile and I walked to the camp. Everyone was a bit worried but no one showed it because they didn't want to make the children afraid.

"I will go and check the soldiers." They nod and I pulled up the hood before jumping down at the water surface and used water bending to move fast with the river. If they were a threat to us I need to get rid of them before anyone in the tribe bet hurt.  
I walked the last part, humming, and watched them from distance when they walked in land. Some soldiers looked around when they heard the humming.  
"She is watching us." One of them said.  
"Of course she does. She is guarding her tribe." I looked at the ship when a big amount of guards came out and everyone bowed. The crown prince was with them! I kept humming and he looked around he to.  
"She is here, isn't she?" The head guard nod.

"We don't think she has been her long but she will judge us. Either we are a threat and an enemy or harmless." The prince nods and made them leave him alone then he walked out in the forest. Curious as I got I followed him. When he had walked a bit he stopped and looked directly at me.  
"I can't say you have tried to hide yourself, Painted Lady." I stepped out of the shadows and his eyes widened when he saw me.  
"You are just a child…" He whispered.  
"Watch your tongue, crown prince." He looked away, blushing.  
"I'm sorry. I got carried away." He looked at me again. "But you are a child. What can you be? Thirteen? Fourteen?" He asked.  
"Seventeen." I answered.

"Two years younger than me and you have already hunted down hundreds of men because they were a threat to your tribe that live somewhere in this forest." He did a gesture at the forest and shot some fire at it at the same time.  
"And I can do it again if you or your men are a threat to my tribe or the forest."  
"This is the fire nation's forest!" He said angry. I walked to him so I stood just a few centimeters from his face and gave him a cold look.  
"This forest belongs to no now other than the Mother. You can't own it; definitely not make it come alive when you can't see what's in front of you." I turned around and walked away but stopped when he stopped me.

"What is that supposed to mean?" He asked and I looked at him.  
"Every rock and tree and creature has a life, has a spirit and has a name. If you don't know those, if you can't see it you can't make the earth listen or live. Your people, the fire benders, are incapable to listen to the nature because your people burns it, kills it. You will_ never _make this land fall under your will." I took back my hand and walked in to the forest and jumped up in a tree when I felt he followed me. I looked down at him when he sat down at a stock with a sigh.

"And what should I do now? I lost her and this is my last chance." I put the head on one side. Last chance? To do what? I sat down and waited for the rest of his mumbling. "He will banish me for ruin this chance." I closed my eyes. Someone would hurt him and the only thing he had ruined was his chance to talk to me for a while. I opened my eyes again. This someone wanted information from me but would hurt the prince if he didn't get it. I can't just leave him like that. I started to sing:  
_"Wild the fairy garden grows. Twining 'round like mistletoe . Poison sweet as berry wine . Fauns know which one is kind. There are no such things as leaves. Only baby fairy trees . Branches grow as strong as horns . Ones that fauns can adorn. Do... do you dare. Secrets everywhere" _He looked up when he heard the song and smiled.

"You are still here." He whispered and sighed relived. "You aren't too angry at me for being stupid." I smiled when I heard his words. I jumped down and stopped behind him and laid my hands at his head. He winced and looked up at me.  
"Painted Lady… I…"  
"Shh, you will scary them away. They have accepted you."  
"Them?" I pointed at the little blue mist that came but then spirits of dead animals came out from it and rushed past us. Zuko looked at them with big eyes. Flower spirits grew around us and some animal stopped to eat some.  
"What on earth is this?" He asked me. I laid down my hands at his shoulders and looked at them and felt his eyes.

"This is the spirits of the past, which mean spirits of those who died in harmony with the nature. Fire benders who kill the nature will never come to this cycle because you kill it. You aren't in harmony with the nature." He looked at them again.  
"But you said they accepted my, what do you mean but that and why me?"

"Not many humans are allowed to see them. Just those with a pure heart and a mind of gold will be allowed to see them. You were accepted because you have something of those or both. The forest want's to teach you a lesson in something."  
"But I'm not. I came here to get information from you for an impure meaning. My father wants this forest and the powers which come with it!"  
"But not you. You aren't your father, prince. Do not compare yourself to him. The nature have accepted you and will teach you and I will help her to teach you."  
"Her? The Mother as you calls the nature?" I nod.  
"The Mother of nature, Gaia, want's to teach you what you a necessary lesson from nature."

* * *

**The song is of course "Mercede's lullaby" from Pans Labyrinth. Hope you like it!**  
_***To hear the version I'm meaning so search for "Mercede's lullaby" ~Ashley Serena feat. Chriss Knorr and you will find it! :)**_


	2. Lesson one

**Chapter 2: Lesson one**  
"Wait! Where are we going and what is your name? I can't address you as _The painted lady_ forever." I looked back at the prince who did everything he could in order to keep up to me.

"Katara. My name is Katara. Where we are going can't I tell you, you should be happy that I'm not putting a blindfold at you until we reach the place for the first lesson."  
"It's not like I will remember where we are going anyway…" I smiled and kept on walking. The first lesson would be in the mountains at our holy place where Tui and La was waiting for him. They would be his first teachers. I wonder what they will do with him, it's not often they take in strangers and especially not teaching them a lesson from nature.

When an hour had past we was at a cliff where the entrance where. The prince, Zuko, looked in to the cave and then back at me. A breeze came out, a breeze with hot air and that made him turn his head back to the cave opening.  
"Hot air? What is in there?" He asked.  
"Your first teachers." I answered.  
"I have really hard to believe that someone can live up hear." He said.

"Don't think like you do in the fire nation, prince. This isn't a town." I said and entered the cave.  
"Right, we are in the middle of nowhere and in a cave." Ha said and walked behind me. "This still feels strange. Who lives…" He stopped talking when I could hear the waterfall, he probably heard it to. So that was most likely what he was listening to. "Is that a… waterfall, Katara?"  
"It is." I replied and looked at him. He looked confused.

"A _waterfall_ in a _mountain_?" He asked.  
"Yes, that is how your teachers survive."  
"Through a waterfall? Really?" I smile to him.  
"You will understand when you see them, Zuko." I entered the holy room and felt the grass under my bare feet's and smiled once again. I made the water nation greeting towards the waterfall.  
"Tui and La, I have brought you prince Zuko as the two of you asked." Zuko looked at the waterfall with eyes that said he didn't understand.  
"Who are you talking to, Katara?" I laid my hands at his checks and looked him in the eyes.

"Stop think with logic and start to think with your heart. Think about what you saw before when the spirits visited you." He nods and took a deep breath. I could feel how his pulse calmed down but just like that he screamed.  
"It's a man and a woman in the waterfall!" I laughed.  
"Look again, little boy." I pushed him to the little pond in front of the waterfall and his chin feel down when he saw Tui and La's true form.  
"Koi fishes!" He looked at me. "Are those fishes my teachers?" I nod.  
"Tui and La is the moon spirit and the sea spirit. The reasons humans even exist. Without water our body can't handle anything for long. Without the moon the earth would turn I chaos. They are the perfect teachers for your first lesson. They are harmony them self." He nod and sat down before them. Tui and La's spirit forms walked out from the waterfall and sat down over their koi fishes body's.

_"What we are going to learn you is the meaning of humans. How important every link is." _They said at the same time. _"For a long time ago when benders lived in harmony with nature the same way Katara's people are right now. Bending wasn't used to hurt and kill but to take care of each other and protect each other. Bending was a part of each human in the world; everyone was one of the same kind and not divided as they are today."_ Zuko sat completely still and listened. I was impressed that he did that. _"So our lesson to you is: Do not treat persons after their bending. Do not separate yourself from everyone else. Everyone is one and the same kind: Humans but also a part of the same linking bond: The world."_

Their spirits became one with the koi fishes and Zuko looked back at me. I looked back but sat still in the grass when he raised and sat down before me.  
"Long ago, didn't humans live as I do?"  
"I don't know how you live but probably not. Once we lived in harmony with each other and the nature. Now some humans don't even know what harmony with the nature means, they are destroying it with their machines and inventions. The world is dying, Zuko. And no one is doing something. The reason they teach you and let you know this kind of things is because you are an important link for the future. For the world. You can change it as you and as the crown prince." He nods and thought for himself.  
"I can change our ways of living but I can't do it alone, Katara."

"That's why I will guide you until you can walk by yourself." He looked me in my eyes. "I will watch over you and guide you. They won't contact you more today, the spirits I mean. I will let you know when a new spirit will teach you something." He nods and a small smile appears at his lips.  
"Thank you, Katara. But I think I need to return now, before they send out guards who kill the nature here." I nods and rise.  
"Very well, let's move out then." I walked him back to the camp before I started to walk back to my tribe. The painted lady's spirit came up by my side.  
_"He can change the world, Katara."_ She said.

"I know. That's why we will guard him and guide him. We will help him change the world."


	3. The dragon's lesson

**Chapter 3: The dragon's lesson**

I watched the prince as the stood there in the middle of the camp and tried to help but the soldiers didn't let him. A small smile came up at my lips. He had already learned something new. When he came he seemed to not even thinking the thought to help them and the soldiers seemed a bit confused over his newfound generosity.  
I cupped my hands in front of my mouth and made a bird noise. The prince stopped for a moment and looked up in the trees and searched for me with his eyes. I had told him I would make that sound when new teacher had called.

After a bits searching he founded me, said something to the others and walked against the tree. I raised and jumped down in the high grass and he founded me pretty fast. A little flame was on fire in his eyes so I could tell just from that: He had waited for this moment to come.  
"Who is the teacher today?" He asked.  
"Their names are Ran and Shaw. I guess you don't know them even though you are a fire bender." He looked confused at me like the last time. "You will understand them when you meet their lesson." He nods and followed me. I walked to an ancient city. With big eyes he looked at everything we passed.  
"Are we still in the same jungle? How can we have missed this?" He asked.  
"Because the spirits are hiding this city from people who only seeks this land for power and destruction. Because you are selected by Ran and Shaw themselves the spirits let you pass." He looked at me with big eyes again.  
"So the spirits have hid a town of this size for how long?" I shrugged.

"Thousands of year's maybe. But there defense became stronger since the hundred years of war era started. They have done whatever they can to protect Ran and Shaw from the fire nation." He looked around us once more and I could guess he tried to figure out who Ran and Shaw was. I knew: The last dragons that still are alive but unknown to the world.  
I stopped in front of the door and looked at the lock before I whispered _'I'm a protector of Ran and Shaw, the two original fire benders and the only living in this world.'_ and the door opened. Curious Zuko looked in to the empty room and I walked to the middle.  
"I would watch my feet's if I where you. Not all guardians are friendly to strangers." Fast as a lightning he ran to me and walked close behind me at the same time as he watched his feet's.

"I have been thinking, who is behind that hat, silk fabric and make up? I know your name is Katara but I'm curious who this Katara is under The Painted Lady title." I looked back at him with a smile.  
"Maybe you will get to know today, if Ran and Shaw judge that you are worthy to know my secret. You never know." A smile appears again and the flame I had seen in his eyes glowed even more. He really wanted to know.  
I stopped in the middle of the room at a platform. He stepped up at it and it rose up through the hole in the roof and well up in the top we meet the Sun Warriors. They looked at me first and then Zuko.

"Is this the prince Ran and Shaw desired to teach?" The leader asked. I nod. "Then come, both of you. They want you with him, Painted lady." I nod once more and we followed them again. It was a long time ago since I visited them but I still remember there codex: Be hard at first moment in order to be able to see the visitor's true colors. They were about to judge and test Zuko's heart.  
We came to the temple with the big fire. Zuko looked at it and held out his hands when they told him to. They gave him a part of the flame and was about to give me the other half when he remembered I was a water bender so he putted it back.  
"Won't you get one?" He asked confused. I smiled.

"I'm not a fire bender, I'm a water bender." He nods and the leader gave him instructions before he could ask more about it. We was about to wander up to Ran and Shaw, I would be the guide, and he could not let the fire burn out. One of the Sun Warriors women came with some holy water for me, as always when I was following them up to Ran and Shaw. I bend it as a flame and we started to wander. Zuko had all his focus at the flame so he didn't ask much.  
We came up to the place where Ran and Shaw were. Zuko looked around us but I kept walking up for the stairs so he followed. When I was up there I held the flame to one of the openings in the mountains and bowed. I saw in the corner of my eye that Zuko did the same and we waited. A gust came and put out his fire so I dropped my water. Big roar was heard and fast the two, long dragons came out and circulated around us. Zuko's chin fells down in the floor as he watched them.

"They are dragons!" He said surprised and I nod.  
"They are, indeed." We walked until we stood back against back and just watched them. After a while they sat their claws in the pillar and breathed out fire that flied around us. Zuko screamed surprised but calmed when he realized the fire didn't hurt us.

"They choose that you are worthy." I smiled. I looked into the fire's colors as Zuko did and I saw him smile as he followed the fire with his eyes. "And that you are worthy to see the girl under the hat." He turned to me and I looked at him with a smile before I removed the hat and hood so my dark curls came out. His eyes widened as he saw me and I looked at him with my blue eyes.  
With a blush at his checks he looked away and a little laugh slipped out of me. He blushed and his ears were red as tomatoes. I never thought I would see the fire nation's prince like this!

"Your ears are red as tomatoes, you know what?" The blush at his checks became even wider when he covered his ears with his hands. With a smile I kissed his check before thinking.  
"It's nothing to be embarrassed of." I smiled. The fire around us stopped and Ran and Shaw flied in to their caves again. Humming I walked down the stairs with the hat in my hand and with the prince behind me. Love. That was the lesson he get to know. Love as loving the nature and love as having feelings for another person and love to what's in front of him but at the same time it's not I guess my love for others just awakened, my love for him. A small blush came over my checks. Wops.


	4. Lesson of the sea

**Chapter 4: Lesson of the sea.**

I looked out over the sea. A new spirit had talked to me but I don't know who. I couldn't see who it was and all I know is that he or she lives in the sea. But the sea was hard to reach because of the ships so I need to think of another way around them and to the sea.  
"Katara!" I jumped high and looked down behind the fabric from the hat. It was Zuko who had called my name and he smiled big to me. "What are you doing?"  
"Trying to find a way around your ships." He frowned with a questioning look.  
"Why do you want that?" He asked.

"Because you're new teacher is living in the sea. He or she came to me this morning. We need to be there before sunset today." He nods.  
"I know a place where land meets the sea. I'm there all the time and no one have found it." I smiled and jumped down from the tree.  
"Well then, let's do this right away while the soldiers are busy with waiting in your uncle." He nods and starts to walk in a direction so I walked behind him and always looked around. Even if he said that it was a safe rout I didn't really trust that those soldiers didn't guarded him at all. But we came safe to the place he had mentioned. I looked out over the sea and smiled. This was my first time seeing the sea so close.

I backed, as Zuko, when the earth shacked. I looked out over the sea once more and my eyes widened when I saw a huge snake-dragon made of water stared back at us.  
_"Did I take you with surprise, dear Painted lady?"_ I nod and I could see a small smile at his lips, according to his voice it was a male. He looked at Zuko and bowed his head and Zuko bowed back as he had with the other spirits.  
_"Welcome, prince Zuko. Welcome to the sea and us."_ He said. Zuko formed a _Thank you_ with his lips; he was probably in just as much in chock as me for the moment. He looked at me again.

"_I will need your help to teach him. I cannot teach him in this form, so I need to use you as a bridge. I know you only have done it a few times before so I will help you."_ I nod and bit my lip. There was one thing I hadn't told Zuko jet but it seems that I will need to tell him now.  
I sat down, closed my eyes and started to meditate. I know how I did it before so I will do the same now. Avatar Yangchen appeared in front of me as always and meditated with me in order to help me being a bridge between the spirit world and the living world. I felt when I feel in to the Avatar State and when the spirit, Gu Zheng, entered my body in order to help me. When I opened my eyes again I could see Zuko's chock but I couldn't talk to him right now. Gu Zheng raised and looked at Zuko.

"_My lesson to you, young crown prince, is the lesson of the sea."_ Both my voice and his got mixed when he talked. He bended up some water from the sea and formed it to a big wave in his hand. _"Do you know anything about water benders, prince?"_ He shocked his head.  
"Not more than that they bends water around them." He nods.  
_"Water is the elements of Change. Water benders have an ability to adapt too many things around them. They have a deep sense of community and love that holds them together through anything. Water benders take use of energy streams inside them and around them. A water bender makes his or she's defense into an attack and turns their opponent's energy against them."_ He nods and listens carefully._ "At night water benders is as strongest because they are blessed by the Moon Spirit and she allows them to get energy from the moon just like fire benders get energy and power from the sun."_ He nods again.  
_"The lesson of the sea is a simple lesson."_ He stared to bend around the water around us in a soft circle. _"You need to do as the water benders: Feel the energy around them and in them, use defense and make it to an attack. Like this."_ A water shield came up in front of my body and then, just like that, it forms to a line and attack the cliff.

"But I'm a fire bender, not a water bender." Zuko said.  
_"I know that, dear prince. But you can still take wisdom from the sea and its tactic. The sea is hard to predict: Either you are allowed to pass or it turns against you. Take the sea and water with respect and it will show you respect back and take care of the sea and the world. We only have one world to live in, don't waste it. My lesson to you is: Don't always be in attack mode. One day you will have that turned against you. Feel the energy around you and work with it in order to create a new era. And one last thing: I would catch Katara when I step outside from her."_ The last think I saw was Zuko who nods and rose. Then everything became black and Gu Zheng stepped out from me. Someone catches me, probably Zuko, and held me against his body. After a while I opened my eyes. Gu Zheng was gone but Zuko still held me in his arm.

Carefully I looked up at Zuko who placed his forehead at mine and looked me in my eyes.  
"Why didn't you tell me you where the avatar, Katara?" I looked away.  
"Because I haven't told anyone. Only the shaman in our tribe is aware of it." He looked surprised at me but then smiled.  
"You knew I would be showed your secret but still you let me see it." I nods and looked at him.  
"I guess I have big trust in you." He smiled bigger and gave me a soft hug. I laid down my head at his chest and looked out over the sea. "What did Gu Zheng said before he disappeared?"

"The teacher?" I nod. "Just that I should learn more from how you do things. You are a great example for what he teaches me: Use your opponent's energy against him or her. That's how you always beat us, right?" I smiled and nod.  
"Its. Fire benders bending are very aggressive so to turn their aggression against them is like fire bending back with the same power." He nods and looked out over the sea.  
"Can't we sit like this for a while?" I nod with a smile.  
"With pleasure."


End file.
